The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-04-01
JOAQUIN MILLER,
4E DlscouRsES ON THE SEWER
GASES OF SAN FRANCISCO.
And Tells of an Interview with /. Wild
Eyed Man Who Proposes to Turn
About the Cable Car Inventor.
special Correspondence ]


Them Into an MISUNDERSTANDING
About the Cable Car Inventor.
Especial Correspondence
/ s5 Sg 8a SAN FRANCISCO, March 1G
: Did you know that there are more patents
for things of practical use issued to California
than to any other part of the world with ten
times the populationg Well, it is a notable
fact The CaliforIians are not nearly all etl-
gagged ill either mining or stock gambling. as
so many are ready to believe. The Cali
fornian is first of all thinker-aa observer
of men and of things
We had an explosion of sewer gas i'll
one of our fine streets here recently 1t
was severe affair-so severe, indeed, that
had it not been for the fact that we have been
entirely outdone in the earthquake line of
late, the agent of the Associated Press would
surely have telegraphed another terrible
earthquake in California to the newspapers
of New York. For the truth is We never hear
of our earthquakes half of the time out here
until after they have been telegraphed to
New York and then back, by those most i'll
spired romancists, the agents of the Associated
Press But as | was going on to say, this ex-
plosion was really terrific, and made the
the steep street. and made quite little talk
about town. And, to admit an ugly
truth, they are becoming little too
frequent for comfort, too. Some say
it is because of the filthy condition
of the streets and sewers. | do not know
whether this is the cause or not but | re-
member that something of this kind occurred
near the New York hotel. on Broadway,
when / was living in New York city, and
some of the wooden blocks of the pavement
were transferred from the street to the house
tops in very short order. All doctors tell us
that death Turks up and down these sewers,
and that there is power for evil i'll any
sewer "more terrible than an army with ban
ners.n ~
Certainly we know from the explosions that
there is force and hidden power down there
that must be chained up; else some OF our
growing young cities will not live to any
great age. But be all these things as they
may, must tell you of wild eyed man who
caught me by the shoulder on Clay street one
morning as I was passing down town.
II have it," cried the wild eyed man, as he
held me tight and dug his long, bony fingers
into my shoulder II have It'll I have itl
evidently you have something" said, as
caught the wild, nervous, glittering eye and
tried to stand him Off.
"Ah. you do not believe me- You are like
the rest You mean jimjams, snakes horn
toals and bugs in my boots! No, siri no,
slr! mean that have chained the roaring
lion. | have discovered It'll | am the new
Columbus!"
"But, my friend, what have you discov-
cred! And where have you chained your
roaring lion.'
nlent. "There is a roaring lion running up
and down every dirty sewer in every dirty
city; disease, death, dynamite, is in every
square fooU-a power for evil that is only
heard through these explosions. Ali, you
think Inc crazy. Listen to me. | have been
working on this thing for years. AT last
have it. am now the master of a secret by
which | can chain the roaring lion i'll every
ever In other words, am going TO convert
his sewer gas into light, into life, into heati
am going to light San Francisco with the
;as of her own sewers! | am going to heat
ibis city with her own explosives! l am
going to convert an agent OF disease and
death into thing of beauty and of life! You
shall read your poems by the light of the
sewer gas that is under your feet! You shall
warm your body, cook your breakfast from
the same sourcew
This in brief, is the substance of the wild
eyed discoverers speech and action. He made
no request of secl'esy. III fact, l doubt if he
knew me at all. certainly did not know
him. And from the look of his worn and
wild face lie will probably be fished up out
of the bay before the week is over and
borne to the morgue and buriesl with the
great army of the unknown that has gath
cred its innumerable soldiers on these far sea-
shores of adventure.
There may be nothing at all in what the
poor man said, but there is certainly a power
for destruction down in our sewers. And
now where is the man that will or can convert
this power for evil into power for good! l
leave the suggestion to the thinkers of the
world; merely mentioning in conclusion that
,ile thing seems far more reasonable and feas-
itla than did many another discovery and
enterprise that is now 81 source Of immense
revenue, as well as blessing to the community,
ut the outset. x~*
Having disposed of this theory and this
theorist, now beg to call your attention to
she theory of California Columbus which
feally did materialze.
The name of A. S. Hallidie is new sup
pose to nearly the entire world. He is a
modest, quiet man, of Scotch stock think,
and has lived the best years Of his life in San
Francisco. And yet, unknown as is his name,
Icount the discovery and work of this Cali
8fornia mechanic of more solid Importance to
5he world than the Morse telegraph. Bear
with me while Igiveyou a brief history of it.
Fifteen years ago this man was descending
one Of our steep and stony streets, when he
saw two Of the three horses which were
hitched to one of the heavy omnibuses fall,
under the heavy load and the heavy blows of
their master The poor horses were beaten
all the more for having fallen down, and
were pushed and dragged by the other horse,
the heavy vehicle and inhuman driver almost
to the foot of the hill. This shocking sight
was indeed Of almost daily occurrence here
then; for Henry Bergll had not yet been
heard from out here, and red headed and red
mouthed monsters in the employ of stage
companies and corporations were very apt to
deal you blow, as well as the horses, il you
dared interfere.
Halilie-then young man, and not at
all without position or future. as SO many of
our great inventors and discoveries have
been, and are still-then and there resolved to
devote his life to the amelioration Of this pitt
full condition of affairs in our streets.
III Il